STATUS UPDATE - On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, City Council adopted Ordinance O-4948, which includes the final code amendments to update the vehicle and bicycle parking requirements in the Kirkland Zoning Code to comply with the State requirements. The ordinance goes into effect on September 28, 2026.
Project Overview
This project focuses on implementing State-mandated limitations on the number of on-site parking spaces that cities may require for commercial and residential projects. The project is divided into two phases. Phase 1 entails implementing the parking changes in the immediate term through an "Early Action Ordinance", while Phase 2 entails a comprehensive clean-up of the Zoning Code to remove existing parking regulations that were superseded by the changes implemented in Phase 1.
Phase 1: On April 7, 2026, City Council adopted Ordinance O-4935 to implement the state-mandated requirements for minimum parking, eliminate minimum parking requirements within the NE 85th Street Station Area boundaries, allow existing commercial spaces to expand without being required to provide parking for the expansion, and establish bicycle parking requirements that are independent of vehicle parking requirements.
Phase 2: On September 15, 2026, City Council adopted Ordinance O-4948 to complete the integration of the State parking requirements into the Zoning Code. These changes include the clean up of the Zoning Code to remove all pre-existing parking regulations, clarification on the requirements for projects and uses that have special parking requirements, and adjustments to the bicycle parking requirements that were with Phase 1.
Project Background
In May 2025, Washington State passed Senate Bill 5184 to limit the number of on-site parking spaces that cities may require for commercial and residential projects and land uses. This bill was passed because the legislature found that parking requirements increase housing costs and promote reliance on automobiles, and that the amount of parking that a project or use provides should be based on market conditions rather than a standard number of parking spaces based on the size of a building.
Kirkland’s parking regulations did not comply with the requirements of this bill, so this project amended the Zoning Code to bring the City into compliance with SB 5184. Kirkland’s implementation of the bill has resulted in fewer minimum parking spaces being required citywide.
In addition to implementing SB 5184 citywide, this project eliminated parking minimums within NE 85th Street Station Area boundaries and added an allowance for existing commercial spaces to expand without being required to provide parking for the expansion. These additions are intended to support local businesses and help catalyze development in the Station Area. The project also updated the bicycle parking requirements to have them be based on the square footage or number of units in a project rather than the number of required vehicle parking spaces.
Meeting Information
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